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Susceptibility of ferrets, cats, dogs, and other domesticated animals to SARS–coronavirus 2
- Jianzhong Shi1,*,
- Zhiyuan Wen1,*,
- Gongxun Zhong1,*,
- Huanliang Yang1,*,
- Chong Wang1,*,
- Baoying Huang2,*,
- Renqiang Liu1,
- Xijun He3,
- Lei Shuai1,
- Ziruo Sun1,
- Yubo Zhao1,
- Peipei Liu2,
- Libin Liang1,
- Pengfei Cui1,
- Jinliang Wang1,
- Xianfeng Zhang3,
- Yuntao Guan3,
- Wenjie Tan2,
- Guizhen Wu2,†,
- Hualan Chen1,†,
- Zhigao Bu1,3,†
See all authors and affiliationsScience 08 Apr 2020:
eabb7015
DOI: 10.1126/science.abb7015
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the infectious disease COVID-19, which was first reported in Wuhan, China in December, 2019. Despite the tremendous efforts to control the disease, COVID-19 has now spread to over 100 countries and caused a global pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 is thought to have originated in bats; however, the intermediate animal sources of the virus are completely unknown. Here, we investigated the susceptibility of ferrets and animals in close contact with humans to SARS-CoV-2. We found that SARS-CoV-2 replicates poorly in dogs, pigs, chickens, and ducks, but ferrets and cats are permissive to infection. We found experimentally that cats are susceptible to airborne infection. Our study provides important insights into the animal models for SARS-CoV-2 and animal management for COVID-19 control.
For the article:
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/04/07/science.abb7015
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By Arman Azad, CNN
Updated 0522 GMT (1322 HKT) April 23, 2020
(CNN)Two cats in New York have been infected with the novel coronavirus, federal officials announced Wednesday. Both had mild respiratory symptoms and are expected to make a full recovery.
“These are the first pets in the United States to test positive,” the US Department of Agriculture said Wednesday in a joint statement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agencies emphasized that there is no evidence pets play a role in spreading coronavirus in the United States. “There is no justification in taking measures against companion animals that may compromise their welfare,” they said.
The two cats were tested after they showed respiratory symptoms, according to the agencies, and they join the ranks of eight lions and tigers who were infected at a New York zoo.
A veterinarian tested the first house cat after it showed mild respiratory signs, but none of the humans in its household were confirmed to have the virus.
It’s possible, officials said, that the cat was infected by somebody outside the home. Someone inside the house, with mild or no symptoms, could have also transmitted the virus.
The second cat, in a separate area of New York, was also tested after it showed signs of respiratory illness. The owner of that cat tested positive for Covid-19 before the cat became ill, but another cat in the household has shown no signs of illness.
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